Plants move up the reinforcement agenda

Until recently the term ‘reinforced plastics’ has usually meant glass, carbon, aramid or polyethylene fibres, incorporated in petroleum-based resins. Several factors are now stimulating interest in plant based fibres and bioplastics for composites manufacture. These factors include the drive for sustainable technology, legislation on the recycling of end-of-life vehicles and the automotive industry's continuing demands for weight reduction and control of material costs. Geoffrey Pritchard highlights some of the developments at a recent conference on Wood and Biofiber Plastic Composites.